This Poppy skirt is fantastic! It's one of Gertie's for Butterick - B6285. I made the size 10. It comes with a bit of a story.

This was the skirt I made to wear on Christmas Day, 2016. The day before I left to visit my family I tried it on.... and it didn't fit! The waistband was too small. I unpicked it and threw the skirt in the corner. I covered it with other projects as I couldn't bare to see it. Mocking me. Still not fitting. What a betrayal.

Fast forward 6 months.

My Lovely was playing guitar in a band for a community theatre show a few Friday's ago. We had to leave the house at about 6.30pm. At 4.30pm I decided on a whim I was going to finish the skirt and wear it that evening! Found the left over fabric, cut out a new waistband and added a couple of inches on either side, did the interfacing, stitched it on, stitched in the ditch, added the hook and eye and BAM! New skirt ready to go.

Now I want to make another one! Thinking a textured black, definitely a solid colour that isn't grey. I'm open to suggestions.

The double-stacked box pleats are seriously gorgeous and make the skirt full and twirly, like every good skirt should be. The pockets rock my world. Pockets on all the things. Pockets or die!

Yet again, I bring you another 1940s Simplicity 3688 skirt. It is so fast to make, nothing fiddly. I was going for a 1940s vibe, but with light makeup (office job and 3 hr rehearsal in the evening).

This grey wool skirt was started almost a year ago. It was too big and I never put on the waistband. I had a free Saturday so I pulled it out and completed it! Now it fits... :/ Let me tell you, it is warm. The fabric is deliciously soft and squishy and feels like a dream. It's a mid grey colour, not blue like the photos suggest. It was about 5 degrees C at 8.15am when I took these photos. Yay for Monday mornings.

The zip is handpicked and it's a beautiful finish. Hand stitches disappear into the squishiness of the fabric. Obviously I did that when I cared a bit more! The hem and waistband are machine stitched because I couldn't be bothered hand sewing it. Now I have figured out the best way to stitch-in-the-ditch for waistbands, I cannot think of doing them by hand. So lazy, I know.

Berets are a great option as hats for non-hat-wearing people. They are easy to style and make you look like you made an effort. Berets are also fantastic for pseudo 40s tilt hat styles. It just depends on how you slap it on your head. I have a range of berets in different colours. This one is from the TIGS winter uniform for senior students. It got me through yr 11 and 12, it is still serving me well 10+ years later.

As a person who owns a fringe ('bangs' for Americans), hats can be a real struggle. Hats that sit towards the back of the head are much better and it means I can still see. If a hat is too far forward, my fringe gets in my eyes. I get cross. And I can't see. It's a disaster. Berets and pillbox hats are the way forward.

Unseen are my heat tech tights and long sleeve top, my thermal socks, and standard singlet. It gets cold here. Time to layer like there is no tomorrow!

Sorry for the radio silence my dear readers. Life has been a bit crazy recently.

On the work side, we went from having a GM ( + sales), and two sales staff for Australia, NZ, and the Pacific Islands. Down to no GM, and just me doing sales of Australia, NZ and Pacific Islands.... So there's been that. Working stupid hours with crazy pressure. It's been stressful. I was working long hours and then going home to work some more to just get through the workload. Not much time for fun or blogging. I am now training another sales staff member, and we are looking to have a new GM in October. There is a dim and distant light at the end of the tunnel. But it feels a long way away.

On the personal side, I've started doing the choreography for a community theatre group's show of The Producers. It's a lot of fun but absorbing most of my time. I do love meeting new people and and creating dance. It opens in late August. Should be a blast!

The other day, I did get around to finishing my Jan Sweater (version. II) and a thick black corduroy Simplicity 3688 (lost count of how many I've made - perhaps 4 or 5? As I type this now, I am wearing a new grey wool version). It's a great winter skirt. Hope to blog about that one soon.

Black cord is basically impossible to photograph. Simplicity 3688 is a 6 gored skirt with a side zip. I should put one pocket in the side but I never do. The edges are zigzagged which is my usual go-to seam finish. The look of seam binding is gorgeous but most of the time it's too much effort. Perpetually lazy sewist - that's me!

This Jan is made in the next size up from my first one. I wanted it to be a little more 30s blousey. It's not as loose as I thought it would be, but I like it nonetheless. The purple colour is so vibrant, just like the last few pictures of it on my body form. The yarn is Luxury 4ply from Bendigo Woollen Mills. The colour is 'Lavender'. It's gorgeous yarn to knit with. Nice and smooth, not splity, soft to touch, easy care. 200g balls with 720m / ball! This top used one and a smidge balls. By smidge I mean, the neckline ribbing on the back and yarn to sew the seams came from the second ball.

My little 'made by m' labels give me such joy. I was only using them on items I had gifted to people. Then I started stitching them into slash neck tops to easily identify the front and back. And now I stitch them onto everything! They make me so happy.